If you fill your car’s gas tank at a self-service pump, you have undoubtedly smelled the vapors emanating from the fuel filler nozzle. What you might not know is that those same vapors could be escaping from the fuel hoses in your vehicle. To address this problem, leading producer of automotive rubber products Gates Corp. has just developed Barricade fuel hose, an innovative new hose that saves gas and protects the environment. The low-permeation hose prevents fuel vapor loss while delivering peak fuel efficiency. It’s designed for virtually any engine that’s equipped with a conventional carburetor, including cars, trucks, ATVs, tractors, and lawn and garden equipment.

“Barricade hose is the lowest-permeation, multi-fuel compatible hose on the market today,” said Richard Mirtz, senior product manager. “Our patent-pending Greenshield Barrier Technology allows Barricade to exceed stringent California Air Resource Board (CARB), EPA and other state and federal requirements, making it the most environmentally responsible fuel line hose in the industry.”

So what does it mean to you? Savings, that’s what. Gates claims that each use of its new hose can deliver an average annual fuel savings of approximately 1 gallon per vehicle. While those savings won’t buy you a new motor yacht, extensive use of the hose can dramatically reduce the amount of gasoline consumed by U.S. motorists.

In the typical fuel hose, hydrocarbon vapors escape into the atmosphere through the body of fuel line hoses as gasoline or diesel fuel is conveyed through the system from the fuel tank to the engine. The five-layer Greenshield Barrier Technology in the new hose allows it to achieve five times less fuel vapor permeation and fuel waste than conventional hoses. In addition, unlike standard fuel line hoses, Barricade hose is compatible with more fuel types, including gasohol, diesel, biodiesel, ethanol, gasoline and methanol.